Support thread for those awaiting medical appts,tests and surgery

[ohyouBadBadkitten]

It seems that there is probably rather a lot of us who are impatiently waiting to see consultants, have tests or waiting for surgery. So a thread for you to vent in or post your 'hooray's'

me. Am waiting to see my cardiologist. been a bit of a catalogue of delays and getting lost in the system. I have a wonderfully supportive gp who has just calmed me down after me losing the plot a bit when I found I wasnt on the appt system.

How about you?

Really hope you got some pain relief last night backpack how are you feeling today? breastmilk

So touched by all the good wishes. Thank you.

I've just had the meltdown I feared and I now sinking, sinking into despair.

I'm just so grateful to the hospital staff who moved heaven and earth to get me out of coronary care and home far earlier than any of the protocols/policies/guidelines allow... however, the only downside of being out of hospital is the pain the consultant wouldn't prescribe anything too strong to take home in case I used it to top myself.

But when I rang the GP surgery to ask for more painkillers, the receptionist told me that I would have to come in for an appointment before they'd prescribe anything. And I began to cry because the thought of entering the building all seemed too much.

I mean, how the fuck am I going to manage life-long follow-up and five yearly repeat surgery if I can't even cope with the anxiety of walking into a GP practice?

In the end, the GP relented and issued a prescription over the phone.

But I still feel like, well... let's not go there. Can anyone hold my hand?

Of course Breastmilk .
Right now the important thing is to concentrate on the short term getting well. That is all that matters. In the future, when you are doing better you can look to how you cope longer term. In a few weeks it might be worth getting a telephone consult with your gp and ask for a referral to counselling, but not yet, when you are feeling stronger.
Worth remembering that even if you had just the anasthetic with no proceedure you would still be feeling emotionally and physically rubbish at this point.

I'm here too holding your hand. The anaethetic is probably still in your body a bit. You've been through a huge amount of stress as well as the surgery. You need to rest and try to not think about what will/might happen in the future and just get over this surgery.

Make a and watch some crappy daytime TV with me.

(((hugs)))

Thanks for listening. My mum is here and has brought me a latte. Good stuff, coffee. I think it helps me relax, too.

I'm still in so much pain. But I've been through labour twice with nothing more than paracetamol so I suppose I'm good with pain at least.

One thing which helps me dare to try and hope is that the hospital staff told me after the surgery that my heart had been functioning even worse than they'd previously realised, which thereby increases the (albeit small) chance that the surgery may help me feel better. But without being able to move, it's impossible yet to know. Deep breath. Ouch.

What drugs have you been prescribed? Are they not dealing with the pain?

I've got a presciption now for co-codamol, which DH can collect at 2. I'll be alright until then if I can have another cup of coffee

Hope the coffee is helping. See how you get on with the co-codomol. If you are still in pain after that, don't suffer. There are much stronger meds that you can be prescribed, even for at home. I had oxycontin for at home which was fantastic. Make sure you don't just put up with pain - that makes you recover more slowly IMO.

Good. I hope it helps. Pain colours everything.

Had my Spirometery. Gp popped out to tell me that it was good as is my chest x-ray. :) glad its not my lungs, but goodness knows what it is. Took me an embarrassingly long time to get out of the nurses room as I felt so light headed.
So I've been booked in for a 24 hour monitor on Monday and see the consultant on the Friday. In the mean time I just need to muddle through somehow.

Glad the spirometery and x-rays OK, and I really hope the 24 hour monitor is as well. How will you be passing the time until then? Is there anything you've been wanting to read for a while?

I'm starting to feel really down again.

Keeping painkillers out of my reach

Breastmilk, who else knows that you are feeling this down? I think that you should consider talking to someone professional. If you don't want to talk you can email the samaritans

I will say, that you have come this far. You have just been through surgery, please give that a chance, you don't want to have gone through that and then throw it away.

I don't really have any plans. I do need some! I have got a partially knitted jumper. Might cruise amazon to see if there are any books I fancy. Tis rather lonely here, friends are all working but I think that one can come round tomorrow.
What I really want to do is gardening. I can do it in very short bursts as long as I sit down every few minutes.

Yeah I know the frustration of wanting to do something and struggling... in my case, it was the cycling.

Really, a lot of people do know how I feel... whether or not that's a good thing, I don't know. The Samaritans are good people.

Breastmilk it really is not surprising how up and down you are at the moment. You have just come through a procedure that you were dreading, so yesterday you were feeling joyous. Today, you are feeling rather more bruised and battered and your incision is painful. The cardiologists told you that your condition was more severe than they previously thought, so that brings you down. But as a positive, at least they told you this after your treatment. You are now safer and have the potential to be healthier than you were a few days ago.

I think and believe that things will improve for you. You must not expect to be able to do all the things that you want to straight away. Start with walking and gradually increase the amount each day. Maybe the cycling will have to wait. Perhaps your GP could refer you to a cardiac rehab program, so you can exercise and build yourself up in a safer environment. Not that I have had much success with getting onto a rehab program

Thanks for taking the time to reply, and for your kind words - and thank you for the PM.

Not coping here. Having said that so many times it's monopolising everyone's thread. Will be back when I feel less grim.

Actually I would prefer you to keep checking in, keep your chin up.

OYBBK hang in there too. Not long until you see your consultant, and hopefully not too long after that before you get treatment.

It is a good thing :) even though they can't actually make you better, it is better that they know.

I have found you a not exactly the same I know, but lovely scenery and I don't know if you've seen it before but here is a lovely ( don't watch if you get vertigo!)

Bum, I took so long working out how to c&p YouTube videos on the iPad that I missed your last post. This is a support thread, the whole purpose of is that we can be miserable. However, it isn't a substitute for real life support, just an extra help when everyone in real life is busy.

My aim after I'm given the all clear to exercise without the chance of passing out is to join a little gym near here that is good for tailored programmes.

I do have a bit of a plan for the next few days - tomorrow I have a bit of paperwork stuff to do and then a friend in the afternoon.
The weekend dh is around and if I'm feeling relatively ok then we might go to a garden centre. If I feel poorly I can sit down. then I can issue commands ask dh to do the planting.
Mon - cardiac monitor and ermmm....?
Tues - back to hosp for ungluing of monitor. I think a friend might be able to come round too.
Then it's just a couple of more days. In between I am getting to be a dab hand at angry birds ;)

Lovd the YouTube clips. Thanks. But maybe I should apply for an allotment, or plant some vanilla pods for the lattes in the back yard. All those patient information leaflets I keep getting given keep telling me that I should be back in the garden doing some gentle weeding within a fortnight.

A friend who is a GP tells me that 99% of patients who ask her about 'getting back into the garden' after heart problems are actually asking when they can have sex again

Much appreciative of all your support.

DH has just brought DD home. DD has just announced that she has 'whacked [son of childminder] on the nose, and didn't get any stwawbewwy yoghurt'. Oh .

I really do want to be working in the garden. My veggie plot is neglected. Not going to ask my cardio that then.

I did do a teeny bit today. Sat down every time I went wobbly which was very frequent. Took me ages but it was warm enough to sit out. I have some salad leaf seeds in the ground. Ok, not very sensible but good psychologically for me.

If you'd like an allotment then depending on waiting lists might be worth getting your name down. In the mean time bush tomatoes are good in pots as are salad leaves and some herbs.

I'm a bit daft, I thought OYBBK's appointment was tomorrow. Wishful thinking there. One week to go

I wish!!!

HI.

Breastmilk hope you are feeling better now.

I ended up getting a Lumber Puncture this morning as the pain was getting too much aswell as the vision problems. I am a bit sore on my back but the headaches have gone. I even went to Pizza Hut with DP and DD and never had to leave earlier, DD actually had ice Cream for desert. I just wish I could have a Lumber Puncture every day I feel amazing :)

I want a veg patch but the garden is not big enough :(